Numbers 14:36
in Numbers 14So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,
KJV
And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
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This verse in Numbers 14
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation
on Numbers 14:35-38
The ten men who brought the report die first and they die by plague, before any of the forty years begins. What the text charges them with is bringing up a slander upon the land, so the offence is what they said about a place. Joshua and Caleb lived still, and that short sentence is the whole of their reward until Joshua 14.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the men which Moses sent to search the land,.... Ten of them: who returned; as they all did, who were sent to search it: and made all the congregation to murmur against him; against, Moses that sent them; they murmured themselves, and made others murmur: by bringing up a slander upon the land; that it ate up its inhabitants, and that the inhabitants of it were of such a stature, and so gigantic and strong, and dwelt in such walled cities, Num 13:28, that there was no probability of subduing them, Num 13:31.
God hereby showed his particular displeasure against those who sinned and made Israel to sin. (1.) They sinned themselves, in bringing up a slander upon the land of promise.
He told them all what the decree was which had gone forth concerning them, and which could not be reversed, that they must all die in the wilderness, and Canaan must be reserved for the next generation.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord--Ten of the spies struck dead on the spot--either by the pestilence or some other judgment.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | vehaanashim | and the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁלַ֥ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֖ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| לָת֣וּר | latur | to spy out | H8446 → | 24 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיָּשֻׁ֗בוּ | vaiyashuvu | and they returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּ | vaiyilonu | and they caused to grumble | H3885 → | 84 times |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| לְהוֹצִ֥יא | lehotzi' | by bringing out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| דִבָּ֖ה | dibah | a bad report | H1681 → | 9 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔יםand the men
vehaanashimH582 →566 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁלַ֥חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
מֹשֶׁ֖הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
לָת֣וּרto spy out
laturH8446 →24 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַיָּשֻׁ֗בוּand they returned
vaiyashuvuH7725 →1056 times
וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּand they caused to grumble
vaiyilonuH3885 →84 times
עָלָיו֙on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָ֣עֵדָ֔הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
לְהוֹצִ֥יאby bringing out
lehotzi'H3318 →1067 times
דִבָּ֖הa bad report
dibahH1681 →9 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
